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Total War: WARHAMMER III has arrived on the scene and there’s a lot to be said about what went into the actual development of the game. Sportskeeda Esports' Jason Parker sat down with Andy Hall, Principal Writer for Total War: WARHAMMER III for Creative Assembly.
The conversation revolved around the development of the game, challenges with Total War: WARHAMMER III, and what the future could hold for the game. While the latest title may be the last game in the Total War: WARHAMMER series, there’s still a lot to see and do.
Andy Hall on the development and future of Total War: WARHAMMER III
Q: One of the best features of Total War: WARHAMMER III is the variation in gameplay when it comes to individual factions. Were any of those particularly challenging to re-create in the game?
Andy: Like the army books that Games Workshop have so expertly crafted, it has always been a core pillar for the Total War: WARHAMMER games to ensure that each race is unique in nature and really exemplifies the asymmetry between them. Personally, I think Khorne posed the biggest hurdle for our team to navigate and meet our lofty standards.
As the Blood God, his modus operandi is relatively straightforward in nature in that he just wants to get straight into battles to destroy his foes in hand-to-hand combat, whilst forgoing any form of diplomacy and use of magic. This one-dimensional nature was a challenging nut to crack, but with some perseverance and iteration, Khorne’s playstyle has evolved to become of the most high-tempo and fun races to play.
Q: The Ogre Kingdoms were an interesting choice for the day one DLC for WARHAMMER III. Were there any other factions that almost made up that spot instead?
Andy: We had long planned for the Ogre Kingdoms to be our early-adopter bonus and day-one DLC for a few key reasons. The first is that they bring a unique blend of morality to the game that isn’t inherently good or evil (then again, it could be argued that no one in this world is truly good). For example, Grand Cathay and Kislev embody our ‘good’ races, whilst the Chaos races are all inherently ‘evil.'
The Ogres are a more complex beast in that they’ll align with whoever is paying the most, and we really like the dynamism that brings to the gameplay. They also inhabit a key region of the map that we felt was needed to be filled to promote the best possible gameplay experience within the campaign layer on day 1.
Q: There are so many stories that can be told in the WARHAMMER Fantasy universe. What led to the capture of the Bear-God of Kislev? Was this always the storyline going into the first game?
Andy: The idea of including Ursun (the Bear-God of Kislev) came very early on in Total War: WARHAMMER III’s development and his inclusion really helps drive the narrative and gameplay of the game. We knew that we needed a singular objective that justified each of the races invading the Realms of Chaos (the equivalent of WARHAMMER hell), and he was the ideal candidate to drive that arc.
But just as importantly with Ursun, he was a god that players could relate and emphasize with to due to being a bear, and I wanted him to fill a role similar to Aslan within The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe.
Q: The human factions are decidedly outnumbered when it comes to WARHAMMER III, thanks to the forces of Chaos. Is that going to change as the game receives more content?
Andy: This might be the final game in the Total War: WARHAMMER trilogy, but it’s only the beginning of WARHAMMER III’s journey. Like the games that have come before it, our plan is to support Total War: WARHAMMER III with new content and updates well into the future. Watch this space for more information.
Q: On the topic of factions, the forces of Chaos have some unique game mechanics and features. Which, if any were the developers' favorites, to test and develop?
Andy: One of my favorite features has to be the Daemon Prince's ‘Daemonic Gifts’ mechanic. Never before in Total War have we created a feature that so dramatically affects the gameplay and esthetic of a character in one fell swipe. It’s the embodiment of the ultimate power trip as you create a demi-god in your image and then embark upon a crusade against everything and everyone.
Q: The Total War: WARHAMMER III world is a gorgeous, but grisly one. Were there any particular artists in the WARHAMMER universe that inspired the design of the Realms of Chaos?
Andy: The Realm of Chaos is the equivalent of WARHAMMER hell and the Chaos Gods are constantly striving against one another as part of the Great Game they play against each other, meaning its design is constantly in flux.
But if I were to point to real-world sources of inspiration, it would certainly be the map found within the Daemons of Chaos' army book and the artwork of John Blanche (Games Workshop Art Director) who has been depicting the WARHAMMER world since its inception.
Both have provided fantastic blueprints of how otherworldly this plain should be and I’m really proud of how we adapted the sources to the game.
Q: Legion of Chaos (Chaos Undivided) is a sort-of faction in WARHAMMER III, with the Daemon Price having the power to unify the Chaos pantheon. Were there any challenges in making a faction with access to all of the Chaos forces balanced in any way?
Andy: When you’re designing a Legendary Lord that has access to millions of potential customization options that can affect gameplay in both battles and campaigns, it can be a real challenge to ensure that it remains balanced whilst offering that power fantasy angle that we were always looking for.
Beyond that, we also had to ensure that the Daemon Prince and its alignment to Khorne, Tzeentch, Slaanesh, Nurgle, or Chaos Undivided didn’t take away from the core appeal of the Chaos God’s own campaign and battle features, but I think we’ve done a great job or ensuring that individuality for each race remained.
Q: Speaking of the Realms of Chaos, one of the primary goals is to acquire all of the Soulstones. Is it possible to create a stalemate when hunting those down, when no faction can get all of them? Or could the gathered Soulstones lead to several factions racing to the Forge of Souls all at once?
Andy: The Forge of Souls campaign victory has been designed so that all factions can eventually fight against Be’Lakor within the final battle, but either the player or AI will eventually win and earn a useful pawn to use in battle.
If you find yourself languishing behind the AI, it is possible to intercept the enemy AI if they get to the Forge before you, and doing so will result in that faction being unable to assault it for 15 turns. It’s a race of cataclysmic proportions, but we’ve included some mechanics that should help achieve the objective.
Q: The main campaign of Total War: WARHAMMER III is decidedly story-driven - in that players need to push the main objective forward to proceed. Are there any options in-game for players that simply want to play at their own pace, and not rush towards the Forge of Souls?
Andy: We always ensure our games have a sandbox element to their gameplay and WARHAMMER III is no different. Beyond the Forge of Souls' campaign victory, players can seek out the Domination campaign victory which requires the destruction of key factions and the control of 50 settlements.
Even once you’ve completed either of the above, the fun doesn’t stop, and players can continue to conquer the entire map.
Q: It’s been said that Total War: WARHAMMER III is going to receive the Immortal Empires map, where all the factions and maps will be put together to make one giant, chaotic map. How will this work for players, and will it also allow for online multiplayer?
Andy: I can confirm that WARHAMMER III will have a combined map, but we can’t offer any details on this just now.
Q: Will any changes have to be made to make that map playable? Will there be teleports or something else to make the map navigable and create more replayability/gameplay options?
Andy: I can confirm that WARHAMMER III will have a combined map, but we can’t offer any details on this just now.
Q: The way siege defenses work in Total War: WARHAMMER III saw some major changes. What inspired the increased defensive options for combat?
Andy: Our teams always appreciate the feedback that our fans provide, and sieges were one of the features that they wanted to be improved going into game three.
Within games one and two, sieges could be quite straightforward affairs as you just had one major settlement wall to assault. So with WARHAMMER III we really wanted to dial up their dynamism by improving their layout and verticality, whilst bringing in some brand new features such as the ability to deploy missile towers and barricades.
Q: Speaking of combat, Total War: WARHAMMER III has a fantastic PVP/multiplayer system. Is there any chance of WARHAMMER III tournament play coming in 2022?
Andy: We can’t confirm details just yet, but we plan on having our first Total War: WARHAMMER III Everchosen tournament this year.
Total War: Warhammer III launched on February 17, 2022, and is currently available on PC and Steam.
